


Musings

by analyticamethyst



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: AU, F/F, Kwami Swap, Sibling Fluff, for the tumblr secret santa, luka is a good big bro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:20:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22043971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/analyticamethyst/pseuds/analyticamethyst
Summary: Ever since heroes and villains have come to Paris, Luka has noticed change in the city around him, especially his sister.
Relationships: Juleka Couffaine & Luka Couffaine, Juleka Couffaine/Rose Lavillant
Comments: 6
Kudos: 63





	Musings

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve never written Luka or Juleka and it’s been ages since I’ve written for ml, so if they seem a little wonky or ooc that’s why (sorry). It did inspire me to start another fic though so hopefully this is the start of more ml fic from me and a better understanding of the characters!

Luka keeps an eye out for his sister at school. He tries not to make it obvious. He wouldn’t be doing Juleka any favors if any of her lingering bullies knew her brother was shadowing her, they’d find a way to take it out on her.

Most of them had disappeared over the years (or become her friend - what the _hell_ did becoming Queen Bee do to Chloe?! She had become almost unrecognizable).

Luka watches a younger kid, eyes shining with innocence, trip over Chloe’s glittering boots and her responding snap that sent the little kid tearing away and won her disapproving glares from her surrounding classmates. Including Juleka.

Luka sighs to himself and shakes his head. _Almost_ unrecognizable.

Another almost unrecognizable person these days is his very own sister. Juleka’s confidence levels have soared to new, unthinkable heights ever since…

Well, now that Luka thinks about it, ever since heroes and monsters made their home in Paris.

Interesting coincidence.

Everyone’s internal songs have shifted since magic manifested in Paris. Luka’s noticed a new abundance of minor keys, but also of courageous crescendos and uplifting swells. There may be villains in their beloved city, but there are also _heroes_.

He’s noticed the change in Juleka most of all.

Luka leans against the wall of the school, fingering his guitar case absentmindedly as he watches Rose make her way to the group. Immediately, Juleka’s entire essence brightens and almost unconsciously she shifts towards the pixie-haired girl. Rose beams at Juleka and his sister preens.

Seeing them together, it’s like a tuning fork turned against Luka’s sternum. It just feels _right_. They fit together.

He doesn’t understand it in the slightest, but he loves it. Luka’s no detective. He’s just happy his sister is happy.

—

When Anarka asked Luka to stop by a small, local grocery store after school, cheese was not at the top of his mental grocery list. It wasn’t even near the bottom. They don’t eat a lot of cheese, even for French people. He’s _pretty sure_ they still have some brie left over from one of his mom’s fancier gigs.

Yet here Juleka stands, almost dwarfed by the cheese aisle. She’s staring at it, and the stiffness in her shoulders suggest she’s not comfortable here. Cheese like this cheese is rich people food, and they are in no way rich people.

Juleka reaches up onto her tiptoes and snags a couple rings of Camenbert. Out of all the cheeses she could suddenly take a liking to, Luka would prefer a lot of others over the stinkiest cheese in existence. He shrugs softly to himself as he selects the best heads of cauliflower. If stinky cheese makes Juleka happy, who is he to judge?

He does question, though.

—

Luka is on the deck of his boat, tuning his guitar before warm-up, when he meets Ladybird for the first time.

The quiet afternoon and soft pluck of the steel strings is cut by the whizz of a yo-yo, and a soft thump as the superhero lands on the deck in front of him.

“Hey, Ladybird,” Luka offers in way of greeting, a little breathless with surprise. But he shouldn’t be - with every passing day, it becomes more and more clear that Paris’ heroes are here to stay. “What’s up?”

She has a familiar aura, her song is similar to someone else Luka knows well; but he can’t place it.

“Hello!” Ladybird replies, as bright and chipper as she appears in every interview and video. She holds out her hands, and Luka gasps as his eyes catch on a familiar accessory, standing out against the red and black of Ladybird’s suit. “Juleka Couffaine lives here, right? I saved her from that akuma yesterday, one of her classmates, and she dropped this.”

Luka quickly but gently scoops the trinket out of Ladybird’s hands. “Thank you! She’s going to be so happy.”

Ladybird brightens at that, making Luka smile. Her familiar inner song brightens as well. It has undertones of heavy metal, which is a little weird, but Ladybird hates Hawk Moth with a vengeance, so Luka can understand it.

He would be surprised that a small, petite blonde girl has such a powerful inner song, but after Rose he knows looks don’t mean everything.

\--

Why the heroes have come to frequent the _Liberty_ ’s deck, Luka has no idea.

But for some reason it seems to be a hot hangout spot of theirs.

Midnight Shadow, the cat to Ladybird’s bug, always flinches away at the sight of him. It bothers Luka. He doesn’t know why she’s always so panicked at the sight of _him_ , but it feels like a punch in the gut every time this brave, courageous hero, who faces magical nightmare monsters on the daily, is scared of him. But ever so slowly, with gentle words and kind reassurances, as well as never pushing Midnight Shadow out of her comfort zone, the terrified gleam in her huge cat-like eyes slowly fades away visit after visit.

She reminds him a bit of Juleka, before her confidence started growing in spades recently, and not in a good way. He hopes some of Jules’ newfound confidence will rub off on her.

...But maybe, Luka ponders, it’s the other way around. After all, Juleka’s sudden confidence boost came only after heroes and villains appeared in Paris. Midnight Shadow is a superhero, with bravery levels some could only dream to reach. Maybe she isn’t as confident in day-to-day interactions as she is in front of akumas, but she does have a tremendous amount of courage. Maybe Midnight Shadow’s visits have done Juleka some good.

Most likely, it goes both ways. Or at least, that’s what Luka prefers to think. Because while he’s always done his best to be a good role model for Juleka and to make sure she knows that he’ll always be there for her if she needs him, she doesn’t share much. Luka respects her privacy. He won’t ask if she doesn’t bring it up.

Ladybird isn’t as jumpy and skittish as her partner, but she’s nervous all the same. Luka suspects it’s because she’s not technically supposed to be there. A hero befriending a civilian could put them in danger - at least, that was what Marinette said when it came up in conversation at a Kitty Section rehearsal. Luka’s not as passionate as Marinette, with all her fiery stubbornness, but he does worry. Especially since it’s his sister’s room they’re frequenting.

But also, Ladybird is well-known to be not only the friendlier of the two heroes by far, but to openly seek out civilians and engage them in conversation. She always comforts Hawk Moth’s victims after she deakumatizes them, and the press (when they’re not pushing for dramatic secrets) always trade their fake, polished smiles for real ones when interacting with the bubbly hero. Juleka’s classmate, Alya Cesaire, runs a blog dedicated to the superheroes, and she’s stated multiple times that she loves talking to Ladybird because she’s so genuine. (Not that she doesn’t love Midnight Shadow in all her mysteriousness, too.)

Luka does too, but that doesn’t mean he’s not curious about why Team Miraculous loves the _Liberty_ , of all places.

Both heroes come because they hold some secret, just out of Luka’s grasp, close to their chest.

(He won’t press, though. Everyone deserves their privacy, and after everything they’ve done for the city they have his trust a thousand times over.)

\--

Luka brings it up to Juleka one day as they watch snow fall onto the _Liberty_ ’s deck. He’s loathe to do so, because he doesn’t want to scare her with such a personal, sensitive subject, but he’s worried about his little sister. (And curious.)

“Jules?” Luka asks hesitantly.

“Hm?” she replies, catching a snowflake on her tongue and giggling. Luka’s insides warm at the sight of her happiness.

“Why do Midnight Shadow and Ladybird like to go to your room?”

She freezes and Luka immediately puts his hands up placatingly. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. I’m just a little worried.”

Juleka bites her lip, as if considering something. She frowns; she stays silent for a long minute. “I’m sorry Luka, but it’s not something I’m ready to talk about.”

Luka lowers his hands and smiles gently at his sister. “That’s okay. I’m here when you’re ready, and if you’re never ready that’s okay too.”

Juleka nods, slowly, unsure. “Can I have a minute?”

“Of course,” Luka replies immediately, and swiftly heads down into the ship’s cabins. A couple minutes later, the soft sound of guitar chords rises from their room below, muffled by the ship’s architecture.

Juleka leans against the railing and slips off a glove, flinching slightly at the cold, to finger a silver ring.

Plagg slips out of her jacket and shivers. “Do you want to tell him?” the cat kwami asks, unusually subdued.

Juleka hums noncommittally. “I trust him. Maybe someday. Hopefully.”

Plagg comes to rest on his shoulder, rubbing against her cheek. Juleka leans into his warm, fuzzy body. She pokes his soft belly with a finger, laughing as he twirls quickly away from her in disgust.

He swirls around to rest in front of her again as she catches snowflakes on her tongue. “You know, you’re pretty lucky to have someone like that to look out for you.”

Juleka blinked. “I have Rose.”

Plagg shrugs. “Yeah, but Rose can’t always be there for you like he can. And Luka can’t always be there for you like Rose can. Not everyone gets that, ya know.”

Juleka smiles softly at her kwami. “You’re unusually wise today. Did you bodyswap with Tikki or something?”

Plagg snorts. “Nah, you’ll know when I start spouting nonsense about the delicacy of chocolate chip cookies. I still have one true love and that’s Camenbert.” He yawned, shrugging. “Call it a holiday miracle.”

Juleka smiles and shrugs. “All right,” she replied, never one of many words.

Plagg settles on her shoulder again, and they return to watching the snow as Luka’s music drifts in their ears. Paris shines in the grey light; windows glowing warmly golden in contrast to the white snow outside.

All is well.


End file.
